Prof. ddr. Franc LOČNISKAR, dipl. inž.agr. (1923-2010)
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Od prof. ddr. Franca Ločniškarja, zaslužnega profesorja Univerze v Ljubljani in častnega člana Slovenskega genetskega društva, smo se poslovili 14. oktobra 2010.
Rodil se je 23. aprila 1923 na Turjaku kot peti otrok v učiteljski družini. Po gimnazijskih letih v Zavodu sv. Stanislava v Šentvidu in maturi na Klasični gimnaziji v Ljubljani se je leta 1945 vpisal na Kmetij sko-gozdarsko fakulteto v Zagrebu, kjer je decembra 1949 diplomiral. V tem času je na njegov nadaljnji razvoj pomembno vplival akademik prof. dr. Alojz Tavčar, ki ga je navdušil za genetiko, ki je postala osrednja tema njegovega kasnejšega raziskovalnega dela. Prof. Ločniškar je bil prvi doktorand Biotehniške fakultete v Ljubljani (1959), leta 1960 pa je s temo s področja kvantitativne genetike doktoriral tudi na Georg-August Univerzi v Gottingenu v Nemčiji. Kot profesor je vse svoje delovno obdobje deloval na Biotehniški fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani, katere dekan je bil v letih 1979-1981. Univerza v Ljubljani mu je po upokojitvi leta 1991 za izjemne zasluge na pedagoškem in raziskovalnem področju podelila naziv zaslužni profesor.
Za svoje delo je prof. Ločniškar prejel številne nagrade, med drugim tudi nagrado Sklada Borisa Kidriča (1959), Jesenkovo priznanje (1974), medaljo dela z zlatim vencem (1979) ter Svečano listino in zlato plaketo Univerze v Ljubljani (1984).
Raziskovalno delo prof. Ločniškarja obsega raziskave na področju populacijske genetike in genetike kvantitativnih lastnosti, kjer se je ukvarjal z oceno genetske in okoljske komponente variance in kovariance proizvodnih lastnosti. Med prvimi v Evropi je določil dednostni delež za pomembne gospodarske lastnosti prašičev. V sedemdesetih letih prejšnjega stoletja se je začel ukvarjati s citogenetiko. Po prvem opisu kromosomske transloka-cije pri prašiču (1974), je v sodelovanju z I. Gustavsso-nom, M. Hageltornom in L. Zech z Univerze v Uppsali na Švedskem leta 1976 objavil svoj najodmevnejši članek "Cytological origin and points of exchange of a reciprocal chromosome translocation (1p-; 6q+) in domestic pig" v reviji Hereditas. Na tem področju so nato sledili še opisi mozaicizma spolnih kromosomov in avtosomov ter Ro-
bertsonove fuzije pri govedu, izdelava kariotipov postrvi in lipana ter kariotipov za medvrstne hibride.
Prof. Ločniškarja so dolga leta raziskovalno zaposlovali učinki inbridinga in križanja pri selekciji domačih živali. Z izvajanjem dvosmerne selekcije pri kokoših je vzpostavil pomemben genetski model, ki ga raziskovalci na Oddelku za zootehniko Biotehniške fakultete še vedno s pridom uporabljajo. Prof. ddr. Franc Ločniškar je tudi pomembno prispeval k razvoju animalne biotehnologije v Sloveniji.
In Memoriam
Prof. Dr. Franc LOČNIŠKAR, Ph.D. (1923-2010)
Prof. Dr. Franc Ločniškar, Ph.D, a honorary professor of the University of Ljubljana and honorary member ofthe Slovenian Genetics Society was buried at Ljubljana cemetery Žale on October 14. 2010.
He was born on April 23. 1923 in Turjak as a fifth child in a teacher's family. After his high school years at Diocesan Classical Gymnasium at St. Stanislav's Institution he entered the study of Agriculture at the Faculty for Agriculture and Forestry in Zagreb in 1945, from which he graduated in 1949. During his study period in Zagreb was of tremendous importance for his further development his contact to the Academy member Prof. Dr. Alojz Tavčar, who initiated his enthusiasm for Genetics which remained the central topic of his research interest for his entire career. Prof. Ločniškar was the first Ph.D. student who obtained his Ph.D. from the Biotechnical Faculty at the University of Ljubljana in 1959. In 1960 he received
his second Ph.D. for his thesis in quantitative genetics from the Georg-August University in Gottingen, Germany. Professor Ločniškar spent his entire teaching career at Biotehcnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, where he served as a Dean of the Faculty from 1979 to 1981. At the occasion of his retirement in 1991 he received the title of honorary professor of the University of Ljubljana. For his research work he got numerous awards: Boris Kidrič Foundation research award (1959), Jesenko award (1974), State medal with golden wreath (1979) and Golden plaque of the University of Ljubljana (1984).
Prof. Ločniškar started his research work in the area of population and quantitative genetics with estimations of environmental and genetic components of variances and covariances for production traits. He was among first geneticists in Europe who estimated heritabilities for economically important traits in pigs. In the nineteen seventies, his research interest focused on cytogenetics. After first description of chromosomal translocation in pig (1974), he published in collaboration with I. Gus-tavsson, M. Hageltorn and L. Zech from the University in Uppsala his most important article "Cytological origin and points of exchange of a reciprocal chromosome translocation (1p-; 6q+) in domestic pig" in the journal Hereditas in 1976. In the following years his work was focused on mosaicism of sex chromosomes and autosomes, detection of Robertson's fusion in cattle and karyotyping of trout, grayling and interspecies hybrids.
Prof. Ločniškar also studied effects of inbreeding and specific crossing combinations in selection of domestic animals. He established divergently selected chicken and created an important experimental model which is still frequently used by the researchers at the Department of Animal Science. Prof. Ločniškar's contribution to the development of animal biotechnology in Slovenia was also significant.
Prof. dr. Peter Dovč